Featuring Philly’s Finest

Kara

Meet Kara. When she was in college, she ran her first marathon. Unfortunately, 9 weeks later she was in a serious car accident that left her in a coma with brain injury, internal bleeding and a fractured pelvis, ribs, wrists and spine. It was a surprise that she had not been paralyzed from the traumatic accident. Doctors told her family that is was due to the marathon training prior to the accident. They also said she would never be able to walk again. But after months and months of therapy, tears and continuous determination, she was able to learn to walk again. She accredits her marathon training for saving her life. Kara mentioned “although most of us say we run to build endurance and clear our mind, we may not realize that we also train our bodies to be able to withstand injuries that our not forseen.” Not only was Kara able to walk again, she ran a marathon again!

Kara is an inspiration to all runners. With her enduring strength and willpower, she was able to overcome major handicaps that stood in her way. She didn’t give up and she kept on running no matter what stood in her way.

Prince

Meet runner Prince K! He will be lining up at the start line this year for the 34th time. He is an All Year Runner and has been participating in this event since the beginning. As a special surprise for the 30th year, his daughter, Teal, create this awesome quilt made from the past event shirts. What a great way to commemorate the races! Check it out!

Richard

Meet runner Richard D. from Norristown, PA! This dedicated runner will be one in the crowd at the Start Line at Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia on September 18th. He found his love for distance running later in life and ran his first marathon when he was 66 years old. He has run about 25 to this day! Not only is he an avid runner, but also a friendly smile along the way! He has made many friends through running, including Lucille (submitted this story), who he met on course at this event in 2009!